Chelsea vs Newcastle: 13-Dec-2006

5 points gap with a game in hand. Though Lampard is confident of catching up Man Utd, it should not get worse than this. From now on, every game is a must-win game for Chelsea. For Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea this is a new territory. In the last two seasons we had enough lead all through the season that any loss or draw in between did not worry anyone. But now, Chelsea is under pressure and this is a fact. Jose knows how to handle and overcome pressure. This is also a fact.

In such circumstances, I would strictly go with a team and formation that can assure me 3 points. In short, this certainly means a 4-3-3 and no Sheva and Ballack. With Joe Cole out with foot injury, SWP and Kalou should get the nod. I know many of us slowly losing patience with Sheva and Ballack. I’m feeling so sorry for them. It’s not that they are doing pathetic but the expectations are really high in the current circumstances and they are not upto this mark. If Jose is going to revert to 4-3-3, SWP cannot get a better opportunity to get selected and show his class.

All through this season, despite being the first team score in all but two matches, Chelsea’s first half performance has been very lacklustre when you see the . energy and urgency of the second half. If we are going to wait till the half time talk by Jose or the opponent’s goal, we are never going to finish off opponents. If we end a goalless first half, and score around the 65th minute and keep defending and waiting for an opportunity to break for a counterattack, it can be very risky and we’re leaving things to luck.

Mike Riley, who officiated the blood stained Reading vs Chelsea match, should do a lot better in this one. With all due respect to Newcastle and their 8-match unbeaten streak, this is a match that we should win and win handsomely. No Damien Duff for them and anyways Martins has started scoring. Form-wise there is no big difference between Martins and Sheva in this season. Both are from the Italian league and slowly settling down. But Sheva is Sheva and Martins is just Martins. Different class, different clubs, different expectations (different transfer fees too!).

Petr is not afraid to return and he does not have (or never had) the trauma. Read his spine-chilling words:

Everyone is asking if I am afraid when I am back. But Carlo (Cudicini) said the main thing – ‘how can I be afraid of something I don’t even remember?’. That is exactly what it is going to be with me, because I don’t remember anything from the game. I don’t even remember the injury. I woke up three days later and I had 30 stitches on my head and it was difficult for me. But that game I don’t remember so I don’t think I am going to be afraid.

What I am? Uber football addict, optimistic Chelsea fan, casual gamer and long time blogger with views and opinions rather than stats and data. What I'm not? Expert, analyst, pundit or self-proclaimed guru of anything. I choose when to be biased and when not to be. Views and opinions are all mine and not what you always might want to see. Follow me on twitter @bluechampion for the headlines.

I am a Chelsea fan from Turkey,
I think Jose's team formation will cost him Premiership and Champ. League this year.
I think Chelsea's best formation, where the team can safely defend and sharply attack should be this way:

When will arsene whinger quit talking about Chelsea? His own team is tottering in the mid-table and there are serious doubts if they would play champions league next season. Still he comes out and says sheva is broken down by Chelsea. Why does he indulge in such silly mind games? If Jose said such a thing about Henry, what would be the public reaction.

He said - "If you buy a super machine, a Ferrari, from the first day it goes well - unless it's bought by a Russian who buys it and breaks it in two!"

I hope to see a good result and a big win though we will surely miss Joe in this important Christmas period but i have a lot of expectations from Robben who has been vintage!!!!!

Only thing which bothers me is Chelsea's weak right side with an everchanging RB and no great winger SWP has not been up to the task as well as Robben and this blunts the attack a time too many!!!! I too hope Essien plays RB he has been the best Chelsea player so far this season no doubt and looks extremly solid (oh and not to forget the piledriver last week simply awesome)!!!!

The only thing left for us is to hope that Jose plays Essien as RB, and start with both Robben and Sheva. I don't understand one thing: Sheva is being fiercly criticized but why we do not bother ourselves to question why AC Milan was the most successful team in Champ. league for the last 4 years (even better than Barca). In 2003 they won it, in 2004 they reached quarters, in 2005 they played final, in 2006 they played semis. The reason for their success was that they played the game as a team. Both defending and attacking midfielders were regualrly feeding their strikers, not trying to score themselves. And Sheva flourished in those sircumstances.
Coming to Chelsea, nobody can claim that these players are worse by quality than those AC Milan has had all these years. So what's the problem with CFC? Problem is that the team play contradicts with Jose's own mentality of "what matters is a team". Sheva get no assists from this midfield as he used to get in AC. Both Lamps and Ballack are trying to do the work by themselves. There is lack of creativity in midfield too. Maybe that's because Lamps and Ballack are too similar. Maybe we need someone like Kaka. The partial solution to the problem is to play wider with at least one winger in Robben and put Essien deeper to RB position. So, I think that Jose should start with both Robben and Sheva. Robben can make life easier for Sheva by his short passes and crosses.
But, if you ask me, I will say that Jose will not do that and again will stick to his old regular diamond formation. He is too conservative. Why? Maybe he is getting older and cannot analyze the situation like we do. Maybe money changed him and he got bored with Chelsea. Maybe he sees everything but has pressure from above. Maybe he is waiting for miracles. Maybe he is right and I am wrong and time will prove that (I doubt this). There are so many "maybe's".
I hope I'm wrong about Jose. I hope he could read this message.
Good-luck to Chelsea from Istanbul.

I also hope that JM and some players or whoever at thre club would read our messages and support.
But somethings gotta be done about this attacking conundrum.

If there were not so much quality in this team we would be trailing by a lot of points.
I guess it's the pace of the game in England and not many threaded passes that spilt a defence open for sheva.

I agree we got to play in another formation from the beginning of the games.
Essien as right back has already proven itself as more than workable.So what has got to be sorted out is the front line .
And we got to play the first half with more guile .
Sheva was used to Kaka , Pirlo and co stretching and pulling the opposing defence out of position. And then presto, out of nowhere comes Sheva .
Of course it's different at CFC but ....
But that's what we need more, than just walloping the ball to Drogba and then ............
Although I must say Droba is holding on to the ball very very well this season
I have faith in the manager and all the players
it's just that they got play like the second halves of the Arsie / Barca / ManUre games
But then again all our talk about what is the best way to go about winning this title maybe good . But also looking at it from JM's side , it 's better to have Sheva adapt to the team then have the entire team adapt to Sheva's style of play.
We'd be in an Ungoidly mess then
Lots of plusses but lots of minuses too this season
We need one our two switches like Essien in right back and were rolling , I say Kalou as RW and second striker
Or how about Ballack as second striker , so we play with tnree up there ? With the smaller clubs we could start with three at the back too.
Or play without any strikers at all , it's been done before.
Good thing I'm not in charge of tactics Ha Ha Ha
Just a thought
Roman

Many many times, my ideas and opinions may not match with that of Jose. But he is the Boss and he obviously knows a lot better than most of us. He is the most successful manager in football history if you prorate his number of years with the titles he has won. Though I might differ from him, I would say, Boss is always right. He is a very very intelligent man who goes by his head than by his heart. So, in short, I completely trust Jose and his decisions.

You hit the nail on the head when you said - "it â€™s better to have Sheva adapt to the team then have the entire team adapt to Shevaâ€™s style of play". I completely agree.

As regards playnig with only three defenders, if you put Essien as the Right Back, it would amount three defenders in effect. The reason is, Essien would anyway be moving into the midfield and the attack and may even have a free role. And he has the energy to get back to defensive positions from anywhere.

The permanant solution will be to sign Kaka , according to me he is the complete and ultimate midfielder in the world even above Ronnie cuz Kaka is a team player and adjusts acc to the team whereas with Ronnie its the other way round and with rumours doing the rounds that we will sign Ronnie this summer i really want JM to take some interest in creativity which we seriously lack!!!!!

week in and out we see Ronaldo,Ronnie,kaka winning games singlehandedly and CFC lacks such magicians who can change the game!!!!

For the time being we should keep faith with this team but alter it every now and then ! Robben and Cole are the only solutions since the latter is injured we need a messiah to pull up in the league!!!!

The only thing Manu has better than us are its brilliant individuals pulling of stunners Ronaldo,Giggs and Rooney!!!!
I just wish somewhere in Britain JM would be getting the print ready for a great signing and god let it be Kaka!!!!!

I doubt joeblue. If Jose had Kaka in mind, he wouldnt have signed Ballack. In the midfield, we have now Lampard, Essien, Ballack, Makelele, Joe Cole, Robben and SWP. Even if we sign Kaka, it might mean we need to offload atleast two more from the above list. And, with the current list of world-class midfielders, Kaka might really doubt his first team chances. Dont mistake me. Kaka is one the best players in the world and is good enough play 90 mins all through the season, but so is Lampard, Essien, Ballack, Robben and Joe Cole.

well i really hope we will offload some cuz as is reported Cole wants out because he wants regular first team chances and guess who has made a bid????

Let me give u a hint he loves Lamps, hates JM and licks Ronnies boots yeah u got it i suppose - F.riijkard and Cole is damn interested!!!
which leaves us to Robben who wants a move to either Manu(his first choice actually but came here for money) or Madrid!!!

But unfortunately Madrid have almost snared up Kaka with a whooping 42 mn pounds offer under a 7 year contract verbally agreed if Milan dont qualify for the CL which is almost a garuntee!!!!

Below is what Jose said about Joe Cole (just before the Carling Cup match where he scored - Kalou super assist)

" Joe is a victim of the injury he had. He had a big injury in our first friendly in America in the summer and after that he couldnâ€™t train for two months. I gave him a game in the Carling Cup but he was still not at the maximum. Now he is a victim of Chelseaâ€™s performances and results. Itâ€™s not easy for me to change the team when the team is playing so well but tomorrow he plays from the start.

The opportunity is not to impress me or make me think heâ€™s a very good player. I know that. He doesnâ€™t have to impress me. Itâ€™s for him to do well for the team. He has played in all of our games in parts, but itâ€™s easier to start a game than always to come on in the second half and he has a lot to give us. Last season he was crucial for our Premiership title and also for our squad. Joe at his maximum level is a very important player for us."

Also remember that Joey signed a contract for 4 more years only a few months back. I dont think Joe would ever leave Chelsea!!!

Chelsea make hard work of defeating an injury hit Newcastle team 1-0, but a win is a win although with the class and quality of players Chelsea have, EVEN with Ballack in the team Chelsea should have won tonight at lead 3 or 4 nil!!!!

I don't know what Jose thought with starting lineup? Probablay this was last chance for SWP before he quit in January. He's totally out and his performance was poor. Kalou was not much better, but he haven't lose so many balls.
Once more Essien proved that he can play at RB and Sheva showed thad he must play in pair with Drogba. He's only one who can give him useful passes. Robben's performance was good, but once more she proved that he's swelfish. He must provide more passes to our forwards.

Why Ballack? For that formation we use this year he's useful.. 4-4-2 with diamond in middle. Who else can play there? I think Joe Cole could, but as we know he's injured. And no other else. Formation is good, very intelligent. You put a lot of pressure on opponent's middle and with just one change - in 4-3-3 (usually when he put Essien on RB) you get very attacking formation.

Last 10 minutes of our match with Arsenal was really outstanding. But we can't play every match like that...

Looks like we are back to basics , remember when jose took over? Chelsea were criticised for just grinding out results especially 1-0 's looks like Jose has reverted back to those tactics or perhaps he is forging something different!!!!

He always does this when he works with any new team: grind out the results and slowly evolve the team!!!! Rekon boss is upto something wicked and i assure u guys trust him!

I know its frustrating to see that we r not able to finish off opponents the way Manu r but they have the same squad no new faces and have been playing this way for nearly three seasons!!!!!

AS long as we r within touching distance there is nothing to worry about all it will take is a minor slip by Manu and voila we r on top again!!! Just one injury to either Ronaldo,Rooney,Saha or Giggs will wipe the smile of Fergies face and Manu from our path!!!!